GALLERY bosses had to delay the appearance of a world-famous sculpture because it was too big to get in the door.

The Kiss by French artist Auguste Rodin was supposed to be unveiled at the Scotish National Gallery at the weekend.

But last-minute checks revealed the plinth and frame used to transport the marble sculpture was too big to get through the door of the Edinburgh gallery.

The piece, which will be on a year’s loan from Tate Britain, will stay in London for a few weeks while “adjustments” are made.

It is hoped it will be in Edinburgh before the end of the month.

A spokesman for National Galleries of Scotland said: “The Tate sent us information and images about how the work was to be transported. We looked at their stuff and we realised there was an issue with the size.

The National Gallery in Edinburgh was too small to hold The Kiss (Image: Ed Jones)

“There was a discrepancy of 19 to 20 millimetres.”

* The National Museum of Costume near New Abbey, Dumfriesshire, is to permanently close. It costs £220,000 a year to run but receives just 10,000 visitors and is “unsustainable”.